While it was originally thought that an illness was responsible for Martin’s absence, it now looks like he is actually dealing with a hand injury, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review’s Rob Rossi. The severity of his injury isn’t clear yet, so naturally there’s also no timetable for his return.

This is a potentially serious blow for the Pittsburgh Penguins though. They’ve already basically secured the first seed in the Metropolitan Division, but they will be counting on Martin to play a significant role in their playoff run.

There are certainly arguments to be made in support of the NHL’s continued involvement in the Winter Games, but these injuries will doubtlessly be brought up by those who feel the current NHL relationship with the Olympics should be changed.

Update: Martin is tentatively expected to miss a month, but assessment is coming before the Penguins have had a chance to evaluate him, so that timetable should be taken with a grain of salt.